First Day at Home

December 28th was Corinne's first day at home, where she spent some quality time sleeping contentedly in her pumpkin seat. You'd never know by looking at this photo that she had kept her parents up all night exercising her lungs . . .

Day One

Betsy and Brett expect to be able to take Corinne home on Thursday afternoon. The neighbors have been alerted . . .



Anna, one of Betsy and Brett's three nieces, braved a flu shot so that she could hold Corinne. With Corinne's arrival, there are now cousins in the Schatz family!

Corinne Elyse

Betsy and Brett welcomed Corinne Elyse into the world at 3:01 a.m on December 26. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 19.25 inches long. She's got a patch of golden brown hair and has slate-colored eyes. And she's beautiful! She's got a sweet little face that will melt your heart.

Betsy started having regular contractions on the morning of Christmas Eve, and she and Brett went to the hospital in the early afternoon on Christmas Day. I was at the hospital with Grandma Jeanne and Grandpa Don when Corinne arrived. We had been eagerly anticipating her imminent arrival for quite some time, and it was worth the wait!

We spent just a few minutes with Betsy, Brett, and Corinne -- just enough time for each of us to hold Corinne. I was also able to snap these few photos. They were taken about 40 minutes after Corinne was born. And Betsy, as you can see, looks fantastic! From what I saw, Team Schatz was cool, calm, and collected from start to finish.

Good work and congratulations, Betsy and Brett. And welcome to the world, Corinne!

Awaiting Our Little Girl

Well, only one thing is missing from our nursery...and your guess is as good as ours as to when she might arrive! We'll see if there is any new news when I head to the doctor tomorrow...

SNOW!

This is a view from our house of what we woke up to this morning! How come snow just makes everything more fun?

A Day Off

School was unexpectedly canceled yesterday, but not due to bad weather...there was a water main break! What a fun surprise! To make the day even sweeter, Brett took the afternoon off and came home early. We took this rare opportunity to put up the Christmas tree! I forgot how fun it was to put up a tree, unwrap the ornaments, and rediscover our Christmas decorations. Last year we were living in our apartment, surrounded by moving boxes filled with our stuff, and didn't have a tree, decorations, or even any time to really enjoy the season! We certainly have a lot, if not more, going on this Christmas, which is why it was so nice to have a day off together in the middle of the week. We thoroughly enjoyed our day, and hopefully we can carve out more time like that before our little girl comes. Plus, now it feels like Christmas!

Running List

Lately I have been going to bed exhausted, only to wake up in the wee hours of the morning (usually around 3 or 4 am) with a running "to do" list in my head of what still needs to get done before this baby comes! But, I have good news to report: we have been busy checking some major items off our list recently. They include: getting the nursery furniture delivered and set up, washing the bedding (I haven't gotten to the clothes and blankets yet), and buying and installing the carseat in the car. Those are important things that make me feel a lot more prepared for this little girl, even though there is much to still do. We've also made some significant headway in Christmas shopping and are getting closer to choosing a good pediatrician (a few more parent info. sessions to attend). All in all, we have been very productive lately...I have a feeling this whole month will be a productive one! It's a good thing the doctor told me today that I have at least 2 more weeks before our baby makes her grand appearance! I need to finish out school and get things ready for my long term sub, not to mention pack for the hospital, re-read a few parenting books, and decorate/finish shopping for Christmas!

Five Weeks To Go...

Well, here it is...my first profile shot of the pregnancy! I wasn't sure if I could bring myself to post it, but then I realized that the last time my sister, Laura, was here it was September! So for any of our readers who are out of town or far away, and especially for Laura, I decided to go for it. Five weeks (or 34 days) to go and this is how my body looks these days. Pretty crazy! We have much to get done in a short couple of weeks, including washing baby clothes, assembling the crib (finally), arranging the nursery furniture, packing our bags for the hospital, finishing up our Childbirth Classes, getting a carseat and, oh yes, Christmas is around the corner, too! Plus I have 21 fourth graders counting on me each day for about four more weeks. So, I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with all of these things...and this is only before we become parents! There's a whole new life and routine awaiting us after this baby comes. Whew! It's enough to make me wonder if I'll be able to do it, and do it well! I'm incredibly thankful for Brett, who is so supportive, and for our families and friends who are around to pitch in also! I know that we'll welcome the help.

*Stay tuned for updated pictures of the nursery

Lilly's Favorite Room

Lately I have found Lilly asleep or playing in the nursery--all by herself. I think she has claimed a new favorite room in our house, except she has no clue that soon her favorite room will be filled up with furniture and a new baby! Right now there are fun toys and clothes to explore in peace and quiet. I wonder if it will still be her favorite room in a little less than 8 weeks...

Good News!

For those of you who read the last post, we received good news today about our baby's health and growth! After some worrisome news at our last appointment that I was measuring significantly smaller than where I should have been, we had an ultrasound today which confirmed that our baby is strong, healthy, and growing well. When they took her measurements today they matched up exactly with her due date of December 29th! A rarity, we were told! Now, if only we could get her to actually come on that date...

We are thankful to so many of you who were praying for us and for our little girl over the last two weeks! God is good!

Oh, and to also comment on the dream I shared in the last post...the doctors are estimating her weight to be 4 pounds, 5 ounces right now. Thankfully, that is a long way off from the 20 pound baby I dreamt about!

Baby Weight

Recently I had a pretty crazy dream about the baby (I've been told that will happen)...

I dreamt that I had given birth to the baby, apparently without being conscious (?), and when I woke up from labor Brett told me that she weighed 20 pounds!!! My response in the dream was, "Brett, are you sure you don't mean 20 inches?!!" And he replied that, no, she was indeed 20 pounds at birth. (Whew! Maybe I should call this a nightmare, instead!) I paniced about how we would definitely NOT be sending out birth announcements with a stat like that. But the worst part of the dream was that I looked down at my body and I had all this extra skin (my skin) hanging down to my knees! Gross. Then I woke up. Ugh. I wonder what it all means:)

Actually, on a serious note, we are a little worried about the baby's weight--but not for being too big. When I went to the doctor this past week, they scheduled me for an ultrasound on November 6th to check on the baby's growth. Although I've been measuring a week or two behind my due date all along, I am now measuring four weeks behind. So, please pray for our little girl to be healthy, strong, and to be growing as she should. We are trusting that the Lord is in control!

30/10

This weekend marks the beginning of week 30 in my pregnancy, and I'm not sure which makes the baby's arrival seem closer--saying I am 30 weeks along or saying that I only have 10 more weeks to go! Either way, it is pretty crazy...and pretty close! We are still awaiting our nursery furniture, so the nursery has yet to take shape. Needless to say, I am anxious to get it set up! Brett has been busy painting and putting up shelving in the closet and I have been busy cleaning the floor, cleaning the blinds, organizing the gifts we have received for the baby, and preparing to set down the nursery furniture--whenever it arrives. Perhaps this is what "nesting" is all about!

Baby Shower

Today was the first baby shower for Baby Girl Schatz! And once again I am reminded of how the Lord has blessed me (and Brett) with wonderful family and dear friends. The gathering today included many amazing people that have been encouragers, prayer warriors, and memory makers with and/or for me over the years--and I just can't wait for all of them to meet our little girl. She will have so many incredible role models to look up to! We can only pray that she has the same deep friendships that I have been gifted with. Thank you, Kris and Susan, for the fantastic shower you put on. I felt so special!

Thank you, also, to all of you who have posted a comment on our new family blog! Marcey unveiled this to us today and so I am reading and seeing all of it for the first time. I only hope I can keep up with it! I know that life is about to change and get busier very soon!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Schatzes' blog, where Betsy and Brett will be sharing family updates and news. Blog readers will no doubt be hoping for lots of baby updates -- and pictures!